Moment Bob Hawke’s broke down in tears during powerful 1984 press conference

Bob Hawke will go down in history as our “larrikin” PM, but in one heartbreaking moment, he shared the raw emotion of his family’s pain.

He will always be remembered as our “larrikin” Prime Minister, but Bob Hawke was also able to share his raw emotion in a way that resonated with everyday Australians.

Perhaps the starkest example of this was in 1984, when he publicly broke down about his daughter, Rosslyn’s, drug problems.

The Prime Minister nearly resigned after he revealed the sadness his family had gone through due to her heroin addiction.

Just two years earlier, his other daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke, faced court over using marijuana.

The The National Times published a story that Sue had a drugs conviction which had been overturned on appeal — implying there was corruption of the legal process due to her father’s position.

It led to vicious attacks on Mr Hawke’s character in Parliament, with opposition leader Andrew Peacock describing Mr Hawke as “a little crook who associates with criminals and takes his orders from those who direct criminals”.

Bob Hawke broke down during the press conference at Parliament House, Canberra.

As he faced the nation in a televised press conference in September 1984, he quietly but firmly denied Peacock’s allegations. But, his voice began to crack when he spoke about the personal attack directed against him, and soon after tears began to roll down his face.

“You don’t cease to be a husband, you don’t cease to be a father ... and my wife and my children, have a right to be protected in this matter,” he said.

“Like any father I love my daughter ... she was completely exonerated by the process of the law ... I had no contact with the judge or anyone involved in it and yet you have this insinuation that affects her.”

The powerful 1984 press conference showed a very different side to Mr Hawke then the one he is most famous for — his “larrikin” demeanour which connected with so many Australians.

Mr Hawke’s appearance at the 1983 America’s Cup was perhaps his most iconic moment as prime minister — and one that solidified his place as a man of the people.

Wearing his national pride literally on his sleeve in a jacket emblazoned with the word “Australia”, Mr Hawke couldn’t hide his elation when Alan Bond’s Australia II beat the US team to take home the cup and declared a national holiday.

Mr Hawke, who has died at the age of 89, had some now-famous advice for the country’s bosses.

RELATED: Legendary former prime minister Bob Hawke dead at 89

Bob Hawke at the 1983 America’s Cup win

“I tell you what, any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum!” Mr Hawke said to cheers and laughter from the crowd around him.

“You have to work a bit harder the next day to make up … it’s a day for all Australians, it’s a day (that) brings us all together. Marvellous, absolutely marvellous.”

Mr Hawke would later joke that his “bum” comments would go down in history as one of the most famous things he ever said.

RELATED: Bob Hawke’s towering achievements as PM

“I’m very proud of it in one way (and) very disappointed that all the other, many brilliant things I’ve said are never mentioned,” Mr Hawke quipped.

“What’s the most brilliant thing Hawkie ever said? It’s the ‘bum’ one’ … it wasn’t just a magnificent sporting achievement but they reflected the Australian spirit, the irreverence.”

Bob Hawke in the famous jacket on stage during a luncheon to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Australia II's America's Cup victory. Picture: Gregg Porteous

RELATED: Australia grieves over death of Bob Hawke

Mr Hawke would don his famous Australia jacket again in 2013 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Australia’s legendary America’s Cup win, looking just as elated as he had on that day decades earlier.

The former prime minister was also famous for his beer-sculling ability, breaking the world record after sculling a yard glass of beer in under 12 seconds during his university days at Oxford.

Mr Hawke lost none of his beer-sculling ability with age, with video emerging in 2012 of the former prime minister downing a schooner of beer at the Sydney Cricket Ground to cheers of “one for the country!”

Bob Hawke sculled a beer given to him by a bystander at the SCG in 2012.

He was also photographed in January last year at The Ashes chugging a beer while sitting in the stands.

Mr Hawke’s death was confirmed in a statement from his wife Blanche d’Alpuget, who said he died peacefully at home.

Former PM Bob Hawke smashes his annual frothie! #triplemrockstheashes #ashes pic.twitter.com/jnqc09KLWY

— Triple M Cricket (@triplemcricket) January 5, 2018

“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian — many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,” the statement read.

“He died peacefully at home at the age of 89 years.

“I and Bob’s children, Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and stepson, Louis, and his grandchildren, will hold a private funeral.

“A memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks.

“Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation.”